Thanks! - I sail on a lake that is 3 miles long and a mile and a half wide, so there are no 5 or 6 ft waves. Even motorboat waves are no more than 3 ft. I would guess. I did notice the weather helm on close hauled, and really like that feature, but didn't realize that the TI would do that on a close reach as well.
I mean in a close haul, it's just a few inches and you can be in irons, but
doesn't the boat have to turn a lot in a close reach to do the same thing? I've watched plenty of your videos, and other sailors as well with their TI's. Lots have had their amas submerge. But I didn't know that the wind would spill, and weather helm would take place when there is a wind gust on a close reach. I guess I have to trust the TI more than I do.
While I have your attention, then, could you answer me one more thing?
In heavy wind, in a broad reach, where the wind is so high that the TI starts doing this dance where the waves under the boat are going faster than the boat itself, so the boat starts this rock and rolling, how do you spill the sail, or take it out of this motion to get control? The wind power is such that it is almost impossible to uncleat the sail, and when I have uncleated it, it is extremely hard to pull in the sail so it will go in irons. I have gone directly downwind, but the wind has been very high that way too and hard to control. I have let the sail go out all the way, but with me being short, I have a knot at the end of it so I don't lose it, so even then, then sail is still in full push. What do you suggest?